Nihonbashi
is on the middle of Nihonbashi.]] is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan which grew up around the bridge of the same name which has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The current bridge, designed by Tsumaki Yorinaka and constructed of stone on a steel frame, dates from 1911.Guide Map/Nihonbashi The district covers a large area to the north and east of the bridge, reaching Akihabara to the north and the Sumida River to the east. Ōtemachi is to the west and Yaesu and Kyobashi to the south. Nihonbashi, together with Kyobashi and Kanda, is the core of Shitamachi , the original downtown center of Edo-Tokyo, before the rise of newer secondary centers such as Shinjuku and Shibuya. History print of Nihonbashi by Hiroshige (The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō)]] (The Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō)]] The Nihonbashi district was a major mercantile center during the Edo period: its early development is largely credited to the Mitsui family, who based their wholesaling business in Nihonbashi and developed Japan's first department store, Mitsukoshi, there. The Edo-era fish market formerly in Nihonbashi was the predecessor of today's Tsukiji fish market. In later years, Nihonbashi emerged as Tokyo's (and Japan's) predominant financial district. The Nihonbashi bridge first became famous during the 17th century, when it was the eastern terminus of the Nakasendō and the Tōkaidō, roads which ran between Edo and Kyoto. During this time, it was known as Edobashi, or "Edo Bridge." In the Meiji era, the wooden bridge was replaced by a larger stone bridge, which still stands today (a replica of the old bridge has been exhibited at the Edo-Tokyo Museum). It is the point from which all distances are measured to the capital; highway signs indicating the distance to Tokyo actually state the number of kilometers to Nihonbashi. The area surrounding the bridge was burned to the ground during the massive March 9-10, 1945 bombing of Tokyo, considered the single largest air raid in history. Despite careful maintenance and restoration, one area of the bridge still has scars burned into the stone from an incendiary bomb. It is one of the few traces left from the fire bombing that leveled most of Tokyo. Nihonbashi was a ward of Tokyo City. In 1947, when the 35 wards of Tokyo were reorganized into 23, it was merged with Kyobashi to form the modern Chuo ward. Shortly before the 1964 Summer Olympics, an expressway was built over the Nihonbashi bridge, obscuring the classic view of Mount Fuji from the bridge.Whiting, Robert, "Negative impact of 1964 Olympics profound", Japan Times, 24 October 2014, p. 14 In recent years, local citizens have petitioned the government to move this expressway underground. This plan was endorsed by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2005, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced in 2017 that they would begin a detailed study of the project, with a goal of beginning construction following the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. If implemented, the construction costs are expected to total ¥500 billion (about US$4+ billion). Places in Nihonbashi ]] Department Store]] * Bank of Japan * Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya department stores * COREDO NIHONBASHI (ja) * Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower ** Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo (ja) * Tokyo Stock Exchange * Kilometre Zero for entire Japan Companies based in Nihonbashi Nihonbashi (日本橋) * Akebono Brake Industry"Corporate Profile." Akebono Brake Industry. Retrieved on February 15, 2017. * Bank of America Merrill Lynch Japan * HSBC Japan * KOSÉ"Corporate Profile." KOSÉ. Retrieved on February 12, 2017. * Maruzen * Nisshinbo Holdings"Corporate Profile." Nisshinbo Holdings. Retrieved on February 13, 2017. * Nomura Holdings"Company Outline." Nomura Holdings. Retrieved on February 15, 2017. * Takashimaya * Takeda Pharmaceutical Company"FAQ." Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. Retrieved on February 2, 2011. "Q : Where is Takeda located? A : ... and the Tokyo Head Office is located in Tokyo, Japan.""Overview." Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. Retrieved on February 2, 2011. "Tokyo Head Office 12-10, Nihonbashi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-8668" * Ippon Doll Works Hakozakicho (箱崎町) * IBM Japan - IBM Hakozaki Facility Honcho (本町) * Daiichi-Sankyo"Company Information." Daiichi-Sankyo. Retrieved on February 15, 2017. Muromachi (室町) * Mitsui Fudosan"Corporate Data." Mitsui Fudosan. Retrieved on February 15, 2017. * Mitsukoshi * Sembikiya * Shinsei Bank"Company Profile." Shinsei Bank. Retrieved on February 15, 2017. In the late 1990s GeoCities Japan was headquartered in the Nihonbashi Hakozaki Building in Hakozakicho."スタッフ募集." GeoCities Japan. February 21, 1999. Retrieved on April 30, 2009. At one time Creatures Inc. had its headquarters in the in Nihonbashi."Welcome to Creatures Inc." Creatures Inc. Retrieved on October 4, 2010. "東京都中央区日本橋3-2-5川崎定徳ビル別館5F." Organizations based in Nihonbashi * Japan-India Association Railway and subway stations Subway stations * Bakuro-yokoyama Station (馬喰横山駅) - Toei Shinjuku Line (S-09) * Hamachō Station (浜町駅) - Toei Shinjuku Line (S-10) * Higashi-nihombashi Station (東日本橋駅) - Toei Asakusa Line (A-15) * Kayabachō Station (茅場町駅) - Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-12), Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line (T-11) * Kodemmachō Station (小伝馬町駅) - Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-14) * Mitsukoshimae Station (三越前駅) - Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (G-12), Tokyo Metro Hanzōmon Line (Z-09) * Nihombashi Station (日本橋駅) - Toei Asakusa Line (A-13), Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (G-11), Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line (T-10) * Ningyōchō Station (人形町駅) - Toei Asakusa Line (A-14), Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-13) * Suitengūmae Station (水天宮前駅) - Tokyo Metro Hanzōmon Line (Z-10) Railway stations * Bakurochō Station (馬喰町駅) - JR Sōbu Line (Rapid) * Shin-Nihombashi Station (新日本橋駅) - JR Sōbu Line (Rapid) Neighboring post towns As the starting point for the five routes of the Edo period, Nihonbashi provided easy access to many parts throughout ancient Japan. *'Tōkaidō' (connecting Edo to Kyoto, staying near the coast) :Nihonbashi (starting location) - Shinagawa-juku *'Nakasendō' (connecting Edo to Kyoto, going through the mountains) :Nihonbashi (starting location) - Itabashi-juku *'Kōshū Kaidō' (connecting Edo to Kai Province (modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture)) :Nihonbashi (starting location) - Naitō Shinjuku *'Ōshū Kaidō' (connecting Edo to Mutsu Province (modern-day Fukushima Prefecture)) :Nihonbashi (starting location) - Hakutaku-juku *'Nikkō Kaidō' (connecting Edo with Nikkō) :Nihonbashi (starting location) - Senju-juku Notes External links Category:Nihonbashi, Tokyo Category:Chūō, Tokyo Category:Neighborhoods of Tokyo Category:Financial districts Category:Stations of the Nakasendō Category:Stations of the Tōkaidō Category:Bridges in Japan Category:Bridges completed in 1911 Category:Geodetic datums Category:1911 establishments in Japan